Quick reference · Communication

Communication glossary コミュニケーション用語集

The shared terms for every communication lesson. Use these words when diagnosing an exchange.

Six traits 六つの資質

Trait	日本語	Means	Test question
Clarity	明確さ	What, who, and by when are unmistakable.	Could they act without asking what I meant?
Openness	開放性・オープンさ	Share information and reasoning with those affected; invite input.	Did everyone affected hear it before it was final?
Honesty	誠実さ・正直さ	Say what you believe, including unwelcome news.	Does it match what I privately think?
Timeliness	適時性・タイムリーさ	Arrives while it can still change a decision.	When did I know, and when did they hear?
Accuracy	正確さ	Matches the facts, with evidence to back it.	What is my evidence?
Listening	傾聴力	Understand the whole meaning—facts and feelings—before responding.	Could I restate their point to their satisfaction?

Honesty vs accuracy follows Grice's maxim of Quality (SEP). Listening: Rogers & Farson, Zenger & Folkman.

From Victor's company training. Short glosses are provisional until aligned with the training material.

日本語	English	Gloss (provisional)
期待・思い込み（パラダイム）	Expectations, assumptions (paradigm)	We hear what we expect to hear.
動機（目的・ゴール）	Motive (purpose, goal)	Each side filters the message through what it is trying to achieve.
感情（気分・フィーリング）	Emotion (mood, feeling)	Current mood colours how a message is sent and received.
先入観（関心事）	Preconception (concerns)	What we already care about decides what we notice.
専門用語（業界用語・専門的表現）	Jargon (industry terms)	Terms clear to the sender are opaque to the receiver.
偏見（過去の経験）	Bias (past experience)	Past experience with a person or topic shapes the reading.
個性・性格（行動、学習スタイル）	Personality (behaviour, learning style)	People differ in how they prefer to take in and give information.

Term	日本語	Means
Low-context	低コンテクスト	Meaning is in the words; say it explicitly, repeat it in writing.
High-context	高コンテクスト	Meaning relies on shared background and what is left unsaid.
Reading the air	空気を読む	Sensing the unspoken mood and expectations of a group.
Consensual deciding	合意型の意思決定	Slow, broad agreement; the decision then stays fixed.
Top-down deciding	トップダウン型	One person decides quickly; the decision may change often.
Ringi	稟議	A proposal circulates for input and approval, level by level.

Positions on these scales are relative: what matters is where you sit compared with the other person. Source: Erin Meyer, “Navigating the Cultural Minefield” (HBR, 2014).

Term	日本語	Means	Move
Divergence	発散	The discussion widens; views are added.	Collect; judge later.
Conflict (groan zone)	衝突（混沌）	Views collide; repetition, interruption, defensiveness. Normal, not failure.	Restate each side; ask what each needs.
Convergence	収束	The discussion narrows to a decision.	Name the decision rule; say decision, owner, deadline.
Hidden conflict	表に出ない衝突	Disagreement moved to silence or hallway talk.	Invite it into the room; check who can't live with it.
Task conflict	タスク・コンフリクト	Disagreement about the work. On average not harmful.	Keep it here.
Relationship conflict	関係コンフリクト	Friction about people. Harms teams.	Separate the people from the problem.
Position	立場・主張	What someone says they want.	Ask “why?”
Interest	利害・本当のニーズ	Why they want it: the underlying need.	Solve for this.
Gradients of agreement	合意の度合い	Kaner's 8-point scale from whole-hearted endorsement through “I can live with it” to veto.	Use instead of yes/no.
Consent check	「これで行けない人は？」	A convergence move that surfaces leftover objection before closing.	If someone objects, return to 衝突.
Domination / compromise / integration	支配・妥協・統合	One wins / both give up something / a new option meets both needs.	Aim for integration.